Body rubbing device

ABSTRACT

A device for use by a person for rubbing across sections of his body, particularly the back of his body, as for scrubbing, massaging, applying lotions, body creams, and the like, is disclosed. The device includes an elongated tubular liquid absorbent main body formed from a limp material. A plurality of longitudinally spaced closed-ended sections are formed along the main body, and are provided with openings for receiving such things as cleansing soap, body lotion and the like. Optional gripping means are provided at the ends of the main body for being grasped by the hands of the user for drawing the device across sections of his body.

United States Patent 1 Liebman 1 1 BODY RUBBING DEVICE [76] Inventor:Arno J. Liebman, 1819 Shore Drive S. Shore View 218, Saint Petersburg,Fla. 33707 22 Filed: Feb. 23, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 118,057

[ ]March 13, 1973 Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp Attorney-Parmelee,Utzler & Welsh [57] ABSTRACT A device for use by a person for rubbingacross sections of his body, particularly the back of his body, as forscrubbing, massaging, applying lotions, body creams, and the like, isdisclosed. The device includes an elongated tubular liquid absorbentmain body formed from a limp material. A plurality of longitudinallyspaced closed-ended sections are formed along the main body, and areprovided with openings for receiving such things as cleansing soap, bodylotion and the like. Optional gripping means are provided at the ends ofthe main body for being grasped by the hands of the user for drawing thedevice across sections of his body.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEUHARISIHYS 3,720,205

lNl/EN TOR.

ARA/0 J. L/EBMAN AI rorneys BODY RUBBING DEVICE This invention relatesto a body rubbing device for use by a person for rubbing across sectionsof his body, particularly the hard-to-reach sections of his body such ashis back or feet bottoms as for scrubbing, massaging, applying a bodylotion and the like.

Various body rubbing devices for use by a person in scrubbing,massaging, or stimulating hard-to-reach sections of his body have beenmade and marketed. One such device is in the form of a somewhat narrowwidth, elongated piece of liquid absorbent material, such as cottonterry cloth, provided with handles of some sort at the remote endswhereby a person could grasp the device and draw it across parts of hisbody, such as his back. The usual method of making the tery clothrubbing device was to cut sections from a large bolt of material andthen attach the end handles. Frequently the device would be reinforcedto give it more bulk by sewing a center section onto the first length ofmaterial. The necessity of having the required multiple manufacturingsteps was costly and resulted in an unnecessarily expensive item,unattractive in price to the potential retail purchaser.

Aside from being too high in price, the terry clothtype body rubbingdevices did not perform their intended functions very effectively. Oneproblem with terry cloth, if it is not too thick, is its tendency toroll when it is drawn across the body. By so rolling the devices werenot able to provide the scrubbing or massaging action desired by theuser. Even without rolling the flat devices did not afford the roughstimulation to the body which users of such devices usually seek.Another deficiency in the old type rubbing devices was that suitablecompartment or pocket space for receiving cleansing soap or body lotionwas not provided. The users of such rubbing devices often desire to soapand wash parts of their body, such as their back or feet, with thedevice, or to apply lotion to their body with the device while getting agood massage with it. i

This invention overcomes the above noted drawbacks of the old bodyrubbing devices, by providing a device which is capable of being simplyand inexpensively manufactured, and provides effective scrubbing,stimulating, massaging,and the like, to the body of the user. Moreparticularly my device preferably, includes an elongated, tubular mainbody formed from a limp, liquid absorbent material. In my preferred formof, the device, the main body has a knitted or woven cloth sleeve with adeep-nap synthetic fiber material secured to the sleeve. The material istypically used for making removable sleeves for paint rollers. Inaddition, there is provided a series of distinct sections longitudinallyarranged along the main body of the device, such sections being formedby transversely stitchng the main body. Such sections enhance thescrubbing or massaging characteristics of the device. Also, in one formof my invention, I provide slits in the sections to thereby definepockets into which cakes of cleansing soap or body lotion may be placed.Gripping means, such as loops of material, may be secured to the ends ofthe main body for being grasped by the hands of the user for drawing thedevice across sections of his body.

My device, since it does not have the tendency of thin terry cloth toroll and since it is provided with the distinct sections is a much moreeffective rubbing device than the old terry cloth devices. My device isalso capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured. The tubularmaterial may be purchased and then cut to the desired length, stitchedat the ends with the gripping means placed on the open ends prior tostitching, and then the center sections formed by transversely stitchingacross the material. If pockets are to be formed, the center sectionsmerely need to be slit where desired and reinforced with stitching asnecessa- Other details and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent as the following description of a present preferred embodimentthereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodimentof this invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the upper sections of a human bodyas viewed from the back with a rubbing device embodying the presentinvention being used by the person to rub across a section of his back;

FIG. 2 is a enlarged plan view of the rubbing device illustrated in FIG.1 with a section cut away to show details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line III III of FIG. 2; and 2 FIG. 4 isa plan view of a section of a rubbing device similar to that shown inFIG. 2 showing a modification to the device.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 generally represents the rubbingdevice of my invention and is shown in FIG. 1 as being used by a personfor drawing across sections of his back as for scrubbing, massaging,washing, applying a body lotion, and the like. The rubbing device 10includes an elongated, narrow width (e.g. 3 inches or so) tubularliquid. absorbent main body 12 formed from a deep nap fiber, such as asynthetic polyester fiber material or other synthetic material as forexample, nylon or acrylic. The tubular material forming main body 12comprises a knitted or woven inner sleeve 14 to which is attached orupon which is formed a deep nap outer covering 16. The tubular materialof the main body 12 is typically that which is used in forming thefamiliar removable applicator sleeves for paint rollers and ischaracterized by its foam holding capabilities. Body 12 may, however, beformed with other liquid absorbent cloth material such as terry clothfolded over and stitched along its longitudinal seam to form a tubularbody. By so forming a reinforced tubular body of terry cloth a moresubstantial body will be formed and the tendency of a thin body of terrycloth to roll when being drawn across a human body will be reduced.

The rubbing device 10 is formed by cutting the tubular material to thelength desired for the main body 12. Loops of ribbon-like material, suchas cotten, nylon or the like, are formed to make grasping handles 18.The free ends of each handle 18 is inserted into an open end of the mainbody 12 and that open end is stitched closed thereby securing the handlein place, The main body 12 is then provided with sections 20 bystitching the main body across its width as indicated at 21. Thesections 20 are shown, although more could be formed on the main body12. The sections 20 enhance the rubbing effect of the device 10 byproviding an interrupted, rough surface on the main body 12. Thesections 20 also serve as pockets for receiving material such as cakesof cleansing soap 22, as shown. Body lotion and the like could also beput into the sections 20. To make sections 20 into pockets, slits 24 areformed on the face of the main body 12 at the sections or alternativelyat the edges of sections. The slits may be reinforced with stitching.When using the device the slits 24 will close themselves due to tensionbeing drawn on the main body 12. If for any reason it is desired tomechanically close the slits 24, suitable closing means, such as azipper, snaps, buttons or the like may be provided around the slits.

The rubbing effect of my device 10 may be increased by sewing sectionsof braided cord 26 or the like transversely across the main body 12. Thesections of cord 26 or a continuous length of cord may be attached inany other fashion or pattern in the main body 12 for enhancing theeffect of rubbing. Similarly, other protrusions may be attached to themain body 12 for increasing rubbing effect.

It has been found that my rubbing device 10 does not tend to roll alongthe longitudinal axis, when being used, as is the case with similardevices formed from thin cotton terry cloth. As a result, my rubbingdevice 10 provides more effective rubbing actions on the users body ascompared with thin terry cloth devices. The other advantages of myrubbing device, such as ease of manufacturing, pockets for receivingsoap and the like, and others, were elaborated upon in the introductoryportion of this disclosure.

My rubbing device 10 could be easily used without the handles 18 bysimply grasping the ends of the main body 12. The handles 18, however,make it easier to grasp the device, especially by people who have largeor oversized bodies or by people who have arthritic or otherwisecrippled hands. The handles 18 could also be used for printing the namesof the owner on them or for other advertising purposes.

By forming two or more pockets in sections 20, two cakes of soap of thesame or different kind could be inserted into the different pockets, orsoap could be placed in one while a body lotion placed in the other. Thehigh spots caused by the soap and/or lotion would add to the massagingaction. The slits 24 in the central location of the pockets should,preferably, be shorter in length than the entire section 20 to a degreewhere the extended closed sections of the pocket form a trap, thuspreventing the soap or other products from escaping without the need ofa mechanical closure for the slits.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of thisinvention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for use by a person for rubbing across sections of his body,particularly the back of the persons body, as for scrubbing, massaging,applying a powdered material and the like, comprising:

an elongated generally tubular main body portion formed of a wovensleeve which retains its generally tubular shape upon use, with liquidabsorbent nap-like fibers extending from the outer surface of saidsleeve, wherein the nap-like fibers are of a length at least twice thethickness of the sleeve, at least one closed-ended pocket being providedin said woven sleeve for containing or receiving cleansing soap, bodypowder or the like, and gripping means attached at each end of the mainbody portion for being grasped by the users hands to permit drawing saidmain body portion across the persons body.

2. The device specified in claim 1, wherein an opening is providedthrough the sleeve to the pocket to permit refilling the pocket.

3. The device specified in claim 1, wherein rib-like material is affixedto the outer surface of the main body portion for enhancing the rubbingeffect of the main body portion.

1. A device for use by a person for rubbing across sections of his body,particularly the back of the person''s body, as for scrubbing,massaging, applying a powdered material and the like, comprising: anelongated generally tubular main body portion formed of a woven sleevewhich retains its generally tubular shape upon use, with liquidabsorbent nap-like fibers extending from the outer surface of saidsleeve, wherein the nap-like fibers are of a length at least twice thethickness of the sleeve, at least one closed-ended pocket being providedin said woven sleeve for containing or receiving cleansing soap, bodypowder or the like, and gripping means attached at each end of the mainbody portion for being grasped by the users hands to permit drawing saidmain body portion across the person''s body.
 1. A device for use by aperson for rubbing across sections of his body, particularly the back ofthe person''s body, as for scrubbing, massaging, applying a powderedmaterial and the like, comprising: an elongated generally tubular mainbody portion formed of a woven sleeve which retains its generallytubular shape upon use, with liquid absorbent nap-like fibers extendingfrom the outer surface of said sleeve, wherein the nap-like fibers areof a length at least twice the thickness of the sleeve, at least oneclosed-ended pocket being provided in said woven sleeve for containingor receiving cleansing soap, body powder or the like, and gripping meansattached at each end of the main body portion for being grasped by theusers hands to permit drawing said main body portion across theperson''s body.
 2. The device specified in claim 1, wherein an openingis provided through the sleeve to the pocket to permit refilling thepocket.